John Hughes remembered

The following is not a full transcript; for full story, listen to audio.

On August 6, on a morning walk in New York City, the acclaimed film director John Hughes, creator of those classic 80's teen angst movies, died after suffering a heart attack. He was 59 years old.

Few American directors have captured and distilled the American teen experience the way John Hughes did. In "Sixteen Candles," "The Breakfast Club" and "Pretty in Pink," his protagonists broke down class barriers in high school social circles.

Wesley Morris is film critic from the "Boston Globe." On "The Takwaway," he said Hughes was very influential for a major segment of the movie-going audience.

"He's most remembered for that set of movies that came out between 1984 and 1987, which is a pretty amazing run," said Morris. "That's six movies that managed to be these cultural touchstones — they still manage to be cultural touchstones, people's kids still watch them today.

"He wasn't a great movie maker — I think he came along at the exact right moment though. He took these archetypal teenagers basically and set them to a soundtrack that resonated — an original soundtrack. In a lot of ways, these movies were musicals. The memories I have are of these … characters who weren't characters — they're more like attitudes — and these very cool songs."

It's estimated that by 1994, Hughes had drawn around $1.4 billion dollars in box office sales.

Watch this tribute to John Hughes in 1991:

"The Takeaway" is a national morning news program, delivering the news and analysis you need to catch up, start your day, and prepare for what’s ahead. The show is a co-production of WNYC and PRI, in editorial collaboration with the BBC, The New York Times Radio, and WGBH.

More at thetakeaway.org